The Cecil Whig., 1887-11-19
MBMOIHS OF FAMOUS MEN.


frOm m, itoaHaS 4r9osy.
Tne moturrs Of famous men are always
interesting studies. Concerning many
of those women the world knows much.
bat OF the majority it is ignorant. Tie
mother of Louis Agass!z, the scientist
was the wife of a Sw!s Protestant clcl g}-
man. aud livec to a very old age. Louis
was her iavori;e son, and she trained
Inn with the greatest care. When, III
1871, Prot. S}IllmaE, of Yale College,
visited her, he found hyr at tourscUrs =
tall, erect and dignitied woman" with
animated address aud cultivated manners.
When She was assured by her guest that
WAS proud of him, her strong frame vas
agItafed, her voice trembled with emo
ton, and the flowing tears told the story
of 4 mothers heart. The day that Prof.
Silliman left she walked a long way in
tbs, rain to bid him and his wife farewell.
Presenting them with little bouquet of
p-nsees were all for him." Peusee III
French means both pans and thought
On the tittieth birthday OF A.assiz the
Saturday IiuO OF Boston celebrated it
with dinner, at which LongfeIlow,
Huimes anu Lowell read poems. In tho
poem Ui tnG iurmer aliusiou was made to
hp
TACT that the great mother, Nature. had
drawn her SOU from the Hresidc, where
she wished to &eep him
And the mother at home saws "iIark?
For his voice listen and yearn;
Ii IS growing late and DARK,
And ny boy does not return"
Ag.ssiz' head Was bent during the
readiu, ui the pueIn, but when Jkc ;.ilu-
zion to his mother was made his ruddy
lace flushed with restralued feeling, tears
gathered i'll his eyes, ana as the last line
Was uttered they dropped Slowly down
his cheeks, one alter another.
Tne mother .! AiphonSe and Ernest
DtuGct, the French nuvelists, was an in
tellectual woman. She was "a constant
rcad"f. and her children were early i'm
pressed with her superiority ovor Other
mothers, 4ud were profoundly grateful
to bor il after iIfo Ion her cArctai TAIN
ing OF their IL uluds. TINS father WAS 4
rich silk weaver, aud tiau nn!y an nrdi-
nary mud. Lo.s ol fortun" soured him,
and he seemed to have little lutlueuCe
over his .Illeu snns. But the mother
The childhood OF Dickens was 80 shad,
owed 10y poverty and his sensitive and
imaginative mind was 30 koeLly alive to
his position that it WAS hardly possible
that he could draw All absolutely impair
tial picture OF his parents. HIS mCther
had a Keen appreciation of the dIol! aud
dramatic talent. She was a coInely little
woman, with handsome bright eyes, and
genial, agreeable person. From her
Dickens undoubtedly Inherited his tenn
permanent and intellectual gifts. She
posscssed all extraordinary sense of the
ludicruus, and her power OF imitation was
something astonishing. Her perception
WAS quick and she unconsciously noted
everything that came under her ohserva-
ton. Ia describing ridiculous occur
reuces her tone and gesture would be
nimit.be, while her manner was OF the
guuntest. Dickens declared that to her
he owed his iii 81 desire for knowledge,
and his earliest passion for reading was
awakened by his mother, who taught
hlm not only the first rudlment of En-
glish, but also little OF Latin. Poverty
s..ddcned and darkened many ycals Of
her hfe, Aid her children were early
compelled 10 leave her aud earn their
OWL living. but they all honored and
loved her as she deserved.
Leigh Hunt thus writes OF his mother
My mother had 70 accomplishments
but the two best OF ala love Of nature
and of book. Dl. Franklin offered 10
teach her the guitar, but she was too
busiiul 10 become his pupl. sac re-
grotted this atterward, partly, no DOUBT,
for having So iiu.trlous a master. Her
first child, who died. WAS named alter
him. cl know not whether the anecdote
is new, but h,' = heard that when DR..
Frank hn invented the harmonicA he con-
coaled 1t from his wlie tail the insuu-
mont WAS iii to play, and then ""ke her
with 1t one night, when she took 1t for